In the last minute
by Cheerft97
Summary: Bella is about to marry Edward but is starting have second thoughts. She thinks about Jacob. Will Bella follow her heart or go with her head? (One shot)


Bella stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was beautiful, really. The dress she wore was white, long and fluffy. It covered her arm in a thin and silky material, it almost melted together with her pale skin. This was a dress that would be a any girl's dream to wear on their wedding day. Her hair was put into an elegant knot decorated with pearls and some tiny delicate white flowers. She looked straight into her chocolate brown eyes who were dramatically covered in the darkest shade of eyeshadow that Bella had ever been wearing. She did not recognize herself anymore. Who was this beautiful person standing in front of her? What happened to the girl who always wore a sweatshirt together with blue washed jeans and sneakers? She knew that she should be happy if Alice would ever allow her to wear her old clothes again. Because she was soon to be a future Cullen. Something she was now giving second thoughts about. Bella tried to think that she was probably nervous, everyone is nervous on their wedding day. Right? Her fairytale story was about to become real. She was getting Edward, the man she adored and loved with her whole heart. The man she went into a paralyzed state when he once left her. She could not possibly imagine a life without Edward. Or could she?

She was getting her dream life served on a silver spoon. She would become a vampire, have the man of her dreams, and be a part of the Cullen family for an eternity. But this did suddenly not seem very appealing to Bella anymore. She turned her head away from the mirror and stared at the door. She could hear footsteps getting closer to the room Bella was standing in.

As the foot steps got closer and her fate just about so. Forbidden thoughts were starting to float into her mind. Thoughts about Jacob. She would never see her best friend again, she would never feel his heat or see his sweet smile and he would never make her laugh in a way only Jacob could anymore. At this moment Bella wanted nothing more than to wake up and realize that this was all a dream. She wanted to sit in Jacob's garage while he was working on his rabbit and chattering like he always did.

Bella felt her heart pounding faster. It was not from the excitement to what was to come, but from the mistake that was soon to be made. Suddenly a knock on the door made Bella almost jump out of her way too fancy high heels. Renee opens the door and silently slips inside of the room and closes the door behind her.

"How are you feeling sweetheart? It is almost time now."

"I-I...I don't know." Bella could barely recognize her voice, it was weak and shaking.

"It's okay to be nervous. This is a big moment in your life but I promise that once this is over you will feel so much better."

'Once this is over' Bella couldn't help but think as if the wedding would never happen which gave her a happy feeling. Which was wrong. So wrong, but she could not help it. Bella knew now that this was a mistake and the only image she could see now was Jacob's sad face somewhere in the forest.

But it was too late now. Bella could not trust her voice because she knew that she would burst out crying if she even tried to. Instead, she just nodded and gave Renee a weak smile for reassurance.

"I think it is time now Bella, take a few deep breaths now. We don't want you to pass out from nervousness, right?" Renee gave Bella a laugh mixed with tears.

"Right..." Bella gave Renee another smile which now took all of her effort to make.

She gave herself one last glance in the mirror and took a deep breath before taking her mother's arm. Together they walked out of the room and down the stairs in the Cullen's house.

The closer she got to her new future the more she saw a completely different one in her mind. It was not an eternity with Edward but a very opposite one. It was a future with a boy who she now wanted to call a man. He had short black hair, an eye shade that was dark brown and warm from sweetness, the skin was tanned and smooth. His smile was playful but genuine. The smile that Bella loved to see. It was Jake, her Jake. She imagined rainy days in the garage with laughter and talking about whatever came to their mind. There were late movie nights at her house together with Jacob, who did not watch the movie but only her. He would carefully lower his head down to touch his lips against hers and the movie would soon be forgotten. Bella saw a shirtless Jacob lays above her in his bed while whispering sweet words and then kissing her down the neck. The thoughts changed to a wedding, but a different one compared to the one occurring now. A simple but perfect kind of wedding for Bella, and in front of her stood a nervous Jake, who slowly put a ring on her finger. Just as she was about the see a tiny version of Jake, Bella was shaken out of her thoughts and she was brought back to reality.

"This is it Bella, Charlie will be here any minute. Good luck honey, I love you so much."

"I-uh...thank you mom, I love you too."

This was it, Bella thought. She was about to make the biggest mistake in her life. She loved Edward but she loved Jacob too, and the thought of losing him forever killed her. But could she imagine a life without never seeing Edward anymore? She had lived without Edward before and during that time she had been miserable. But Jacob brought her back to life, he always did and maybe if Edward had never returned to Forks she would have been happy with Jacob now, and this complicated moment would never have happened. Now she tried to imagine a life where she would get old while Edward would remain a perfect seventeen year old. The old Bella would have shuddered by the thought of it and not even consider that an option. But Bella had changed, she was still the same person in her heart and soul but her mind was changing. She could imagine a human life, but only with Jacob. She wanted a life with him. She did not want to leave her parents and she could even imagine days when she hung out with Angela and Jessica. Bella and Angela would let a comfortable silence overtake them while they listened to Jessica blabbering about her off and on relationship with Mike. Bella knew now, that she couldn't marry Edward. It was painful for her to think about the way she would soon hurt Edward so awfully horrible than ever imaginable. Maybe he already knew? Maybe Alice could see how Bella's future was changing and Edward saw it in her mind? If that was the case, Edward did not show up behind the door. Instead the door was opened by Charlie.

"It's time Bells." Charlie straightened out his arm for Bella to grab it. But she didn't.

"Charl- dad, I can't."

"Don't worry Bella I'll hold you steady all the way. I won't let you fall"

"No! I mean, this. I can't do this!" Bella was starting to motioning her arms around her snow white dress to explain what she meant. The tears were now dripping down on her cheeks.

"It was a mistake dad, I'm not ready for this."

If Charlie was shocked he did not show it. This was the moment when Bella truly appreciated Charlies calm and collected nature. Because Bella who was normally just like Charlie was feeling as if was about to faint, wake up and then faint again.

"Bells, you do not have to do something you are not ready for. Let's get you in the car and I will talk to Renee and..."

Bella was starting to take off her way too fancy high heels and walked away from the back door where on the other side the wedding was being held on the Cullens backyard. She walked across the hall down to the front door. She had to tell Jacob.

"Alright, hold on now Bella!" Charlie began to run towards her.

"Dad, I need to see Jake. I need to tell him."

Charlie suddenly understood. He knew what Bella was about to do and he now let a tiny smile slowly spread across his face. She was about to fix what was supposed to have happened, Bella had finally realized who she truly belonged to.

"Here, take my keys and make things right" Charlie held out his car keys to Bella.

"Thank you dad, can you please...please tell Edward that I am truly sorry and I did not want it to end like this. Please just apologize to everyone!"

Bella was feeling almost frantic now, she did not want anyone to open the backdoor and wondering why it was taking so long. Edward probably knew already.

"I will tell them all, just go!" Charlie wanted Bella to see Jacob almost as badly as Bella herself wanted to.

Bella opened the front door and escaped from her wedding. She ran barefoot towards Charlie's car, she held up the dress to not trip or stumble, which she did anyways because she was Bella Swan after all.

She did not care that the beautiful dress was getting gray from the dirt on the ground. She managed to get the whole fluffy dress inside of the car before she drove as fast as she could towards La Push.

The heart was pounding hard in her chest, it was pounding from the running, nervousness, adrenaline and the tiny bit of excitement.

As she was reaching closer to her destination, Bella was wondering what she was going to tell Jake. What if he did not want her anymore? What if this was it, that he could not trust Bella anymore. He would leave her standing there in her now ash gray wedding dress, letting her taste her own medicine? Bella had to force those thoughts out of her head because she could now see Jacob's house. She felt a heavy twist in her stomach. Bella opened the car door and did not even bother to close it. She ran across the yard all the way to his front door and started to pound on the door loud and fast.

"JACOB!" No one answers, the windows are completely dark.

"JAKE OPEN PLEASE!" She realizes that no one is home.

Bella starts to feel desperate. She looks around and decides to run towards the forest. The heavy wind, mixed with large raindrops starts to fall down as she is running. The once elegant knot is now uncomfortable hanging down her neck. While she runs Bella pulls out the knot off from her hair together with the pearls and tiny flowers. The hair is now waving freely together with the wind. Her face gets wet from the rain, washing away as much of the dark eye makeup as the rain possibly can. Bella thinks what a mess she must look like. But she doesn't care. Because she never wanted fancy, she wanted easy and happiness and now she is running towards it. She reaches to the edge of the forest and stops her running.

"JACOB!"

Something was suddenly moving in the forest. Soon, a tall and shirtless man was slowly walking towards her.

Apart from the rain and heavy wind there was a complete silence. Jacob is almost whispering, as if he can't believe his own eyes that Bella is standing in front of him.

"Bella? What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you Jake. I was not ready."

"I'm sorry Bella but those friend days are over, and I'm not coming to your wedding."

"That's not why I am here."

"Then tell me why Bella, because this is not working anymore. It is too painful for me to see you. And now you are getting married and it's over."

How could Jacob not suspect anything? Bella thought. She looked like she had been hiking in the forest in her wedding dress.

"Because I made a mistake. And I have to make it right Jake. I was about to do things wrong, but I didn't, and now I'm doing the right thing! I always knew that this was the right choice, but I never listened until now."

Jacob stared at Bella in shock. He could not believe what he just heard, was it possible that Bella had left Edward and her own wedding? After all, when he now gave Bella an extra glance from head to toe, she looked like she had made an effort to ruin her dress and to what he could guess used to be perfectly styled hair and makeup. Jacob was slowly walking closer towards Bella still chocked and not sure if he dared to trust his guesses.

"What-What do you mean Bella? Did you leave your wedding?"

"Yes! I left everything, I couldn't do it."

"You came here instead?"

Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"Jake, you know why."

Jacob felt hope, and warmth was starting to spread across his saddned eyes. He wanted to hear Bella say it, he wanted to be sure that he was right this time.

"Say it"

Bella took a deep breath, wanting to say the right words in this moment. It was the least she could do to him.

"Jake, it's you I want, and I'm sorry it took me almost a whole wedding and quite a few painful heartbreaks to understand it but now I know. I choose you because you are my best friend, my sun, my happiness and my lover. I'm in love with you."

Jacob was now standing so close to Bella that she could feel his warmth towards her own body.

"Well what about him?"

"I thought he was everything I ever wanted, but I understood that that person is the one standing in front of me right now. You"

He smiled a happy and careful smile, his eyes were filled with tears which he wouldn't let fall down his cheeks.

"I love you Bells."

"I love you too Jake"

Jacob slowly took his hands on each side of Bellas head as he planned for the kiss to go slow but Bella had other things in mind and threw her arms around his neck and crushed her lips against his. The kiss was long and filled with love and happiness. Both couldn't help but laugh and finally both of them let their tears fall down on their cheeks from the relief and love that they felt. They kissed again, and again. Soon Bella couldn't feel her feet anymore and the other bodyparts also not touching Jake was cold as ice.

"Let's get you inside"

Jacob carefully lifted Bella from the ground and walked towards his house.

Jacob hands Bella one of his T-shirts and shorts. She can finally take off the now ruined dress, she washes off the rest of the makeup and is now feeling like herself again.

Together they snuggle up against the couch. Bella is flipping through the television while she is resting her head against his chest. Jacob is not watching the TV. His eyes are only on Bella. Eventually they talk. They talk about the wedding. She truly explains her thoughts and why she so abruptly changed her mind. Bella did tell Jake that she deep down knew that she was making a mistake by marrying Edward. But she did not understand it until she was standing there in front of the mirror in her wedding dress. Jacob was happy, so happy that Bella eventually understood. She was finally his and he was finally hers.

So when their kissing were getting longer and hands were starting to creep around shoulders and waist. Bella whispered to Jake who was lying above her, to take her to his bedroom. He silently lifted her from the couch and took her to his small bedroom and put her gently down on his bed while he took place above her, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Maybe everyone else would have said that it was too soon. That someone who had just left their soon to be husband on the altar shouldn't end up here with another man. But Bella did not care, she was done with making mistakes because she knew that this was the beginning of her new future and forever.

Jake was so careful as he moved above her, everything went slow and their first time was filled with love. Not a second went without Bella or Jake kisses the other on its lips or neck. Between the heavy breathings sweet words were shared back and forth. The pain she felt when he had pushed inside of her was long gone and the only thing she could feel and see was Jacob. Her Jake. Eventually the speed went up and Jake's dark eyes locked with chocolate brown ones before he began to kiss her collarbone. Very soon he collapsed against her body. They lay like this for what seemed like forever. Jacob above Bella, with his head nestled against her hair, both catching their breaths.

Bella knew that this is what she wanted for the rest of her life. It wasn't the life of eternity with Edward, it was the life of forever with Jacob.

When Jacob rolled off of her and lay beside with his arm around her waist and her head resting against his arm, he asked her a question he had died to ask Bella but had never dared to ask before.

"So uh, one day. I'm not saying soon. But one day, will you actually marry me?"

Bella smiled and looked up at Jake who surprisingly seemed nervous even after what they just had done together.

"I will."

"You won't leave me now?"

"I won't."

"You swear?"

"I'm yours, married or not."

Jake couldn't help his excitement, his eyes were warm and happy and he smiled that sweet smile. Bellas smile.

"Just so you know, I want children one day though" Bella had now choosed human life and with human life she wanted the full package. She wanted Jake and one day his children.

Jake only smiled, looking even happier than he did a few seconds ago. If that was even possible.

"Of course, let's have four children."

"Four children!? No way, two children."

"Hm, let's say three?"

"Deal"

Bella kissed Jacob on his cheek and lay down against his arm again. She knew that she would have to apologize and talk to Edward and the rest of the Cullen family for the dramatic leaving and her reason for it. But not today. Because today was Bella and Jakes day and nothing could ruin it. Not even a glamorous vampire wedding.


End file.
